Special Note** culls that are not significantly damaged but not market quality can be safely recovered with small groups of volunteers properly trained in food safety. Not a family-friendly event but an efficient way to recover produce. This can be a messy and physical event,…
Through the Mississippi Gleaning Network, gleaning supervisors coordinate volunteers across the state to enter fields and groves after farmers have finished harvesting to pick up tons of good produce left behind. Volunteers represent groups from various religions, church denominations, youth groups, corporate and civic organizations,…
Every state office for SoSA has an active social media presence. That’s where a lot of people spend their time. It’s important to know which service people use to do social media. Most of our volunteers are older and utilize Facebook. We understand that using…
Anywhere where there is an accumulation of food, there is waste, and can result in a need for gleaning! This can occur at a trucking company, farmers market, grocery store, farm, packaging warehouse, and even at produce stands. Anytime produce is accumulated, there can be…
Donor Outreach Farmers’ markets: Walk around markets and mingle; talk to the growers or if someone else is selling for a farmer, find out the farmer’s name and phone number. This is also a good way to see what is grown in the area Farm…
Volunteer Specifics If gleaning in an orchard, most of the fruit will likely be in clusters only accessible by ladder, but some should still be accessible from the ground. Most groups or individuals participating in gleaning will come out for a few gleans and training…
In Yakima, the program has three types of gleaning volunteers: out-of-town groups, in-town groups, and individual volunteers. Our recruitment and management strategies are different for each: Out-of-town groups, or mission trips, are usually students and leaders who come to the Yakima Valley in the summer…
Ag Shows Because the Yakima Valley and Central Washington have a large number of commercial producers, the area hosts a variety of agricultural trade shows (ag shows) each year. These shows are an opportunity for growers and packers to talk about new research, technology, and…
U-pick orchards are a great gleaning resource because they are easy to access and often have harvesting materials on-site for your use. Also, U-pick growers can be a great asset for volunteer management because they work regularly with inexperienced pickers. The Yakima Valley Produce Harvest…
A Pick-A-Thon is an event that allows for two organizations to benefit mutually. A produce recovery organization benefits from a gleaning event for a day or multiple days, while the other organization has an event in which they can raise money. Northwest Harvest Yakima and…